There will be many Red Hands on show in Dublin this weekend with the arrival of Tyrone GAA supporters but the Red Hand is indeed a wonderful 'cross community' symbol in Northern Ireland. Today the Irish News carried a short item from its issue of 17 September 1941.
Brooke extols Red Hand of UlsterSir Basil Brooke, the Northern Minister of Commerce, broadcasting in the BBC feature 'Ulster Gazette', said those of his listeners who had been to Ulster would remember how they liked shaking hands.'Well we still shake hands,' he continued. 'We in Ulster have a hand as the emblem of the province, a hand that in the 14th century appeared on the scene of the O'Neills, the ancient Kings of Ulster. It is a strong right hand - a hand that looks as if it could tackle a job - it is the Red Hand of Ulster.'
Indeed, and the Red Hand still features largely on Lord O'Neill's coat-of-arms. The O'Neills used to own 63,000 acres in County Antrim, making them second only to the Hertford Estates in acreage in the county.
ReplyDeleteNONE OF THESE ACCOUNTS OF THE RED HAND HAVE EVER RELATED THAT THIS STORY IS ALSO CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH SOMERLED OF CLAN DONALD WHO IN THE MID 12TH CENTURY GAVE HIS LAND OVER TO HIS 3 SONS IN THIS MANNER OF A RACE TO THE MAINLAND. I HAVE BEEN SHOWN BY A SCHOLAR AND ORAL TRADITION BEARER ONE OF THE BEACHES IN SKYE WHERE THE HAND LANDED. SUCH IS THE APOCRYPHAL NATURE OF THESE LEGENDS OF PSEUDO HISTORY. IN GAELIC POETRY THE RED HAND OF CLAN DONALD IS FREQUENTLY ALLUDED TO. (A.MacDonald)
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